New strategy will tackle Vale crime and disorder Vale crime and disorder (From Barry And District News)

New strategy will tackle Vale crime and disorder Vale crime and disorder

THE Vale of Glamorgan Community Safety Partnership is to carry out a wide-ranging audit consultation exercise which will form the basis for developing a three-year crime and disorder strategy for the area up to 2008.

Ensuring that the Partnership is aware of the nature of crime and disorder and its causes, the audit, conducted in the autumn of 2004, brings together information on levels and patterns from a range of key agencies and the community.

The three-year strategy is to be drawn up by the Vale Council and the Police through the Community Safety Partnership, which also includes representatives from the probation, fire and health services, the voluntary sector and community groups.

The strategy will help the Partnership develop effective initiatives to deal with crime and disorder issues.

Vale Cabinet Member (Housing and Community Safety) Cllr John Thomas, Partnership chairman, said: 'The audit gives an overview of the nature and extent of crime-related problems in the Vale area, examines current responses on the part of local groups and organisations, and identifies areas in which further crime prevention and community safety initiatives might be undertaken.

'The Partnership has been at the forefront of a number of community safety initiatives over the past few years and, through this strategy, will aim to build on that platform and involve the community in the fight against crime and disorder.'

The audit has revealed that reported crime figures have shown successive decreases and there has been a 'significant drop' in burglaries and auto crime and racist incidents.

In contrast, however, there have been annual increases in the number of violence against the person crimes, which included public order arrests, and a rise in the number of sexual offences and incidents of domestic violence.

Cllr Thomas explained: 'This is partly due to the positive approach the Police have taken to incidents of domestic violence, and is also an indicator of pro-active and positive policing on the street where public disorder is tackled at the earliest opportunity and arrests made to quell further problems.

'In relation to sexual offences, there is no evidence that this is due to an increase in predatory attacks but rather increased reporting of historical events.'

As part of the audit, a survey of the council's Citizens' Panel revealed that burglary, harassment and anti-social behaviour, such as the congregation of youths, street drinking and the setting off of fireworks, were still issues of the highest levels of concern.

Supt Josh Jones, Divisional Commander for Police in the Vale, said: 'The Community Safety Partnership, working with our communities, has seen a significant drop in crime in the last three years.

'The audit provides an opportunity to review our priorities, and we need to ensure our combined actions address the concerns of our local communities.

'In general, our headline figures paint an excellent picture. However, I know we have a lot of work to do around addressing the sort of anti-social behaviour on our streets that causes concern to ordinary people going about their business.'